This is a discussion on Karnataka Road Tax, Crack down announced.EDIT: High Court Judgement on Pg 36 attached within The Indian Car Scene, part of the BHP India category; I feel that it is more intensive in KA because of the high tax rates for new cars. The reasoning ...

I feel that it is more intensive in KA because of the high tax rates for new cars. The reasoning that the rto has is that since the tax on new vehicles is high a lot of people will get cars from out of state cheaply and effectively rob the state exchequer of revenue. This leads to this frequent and intensive crack downs on out of state vehicles .
Eventually because of the constant harrasment people will just buy KA registered cars and keep filling the governments coffers

I feel if only state governments allow private owners to pay annual taxes instead of lifetime taxes, RTO would find less tax evaders and also vehicle owners, we, would be more than willing to pay taxes at the State of our residence.
Lifetime taxes are otherwise, a big hundi, you may put money inside but can never get back anything.

What is the reason for not allowing annual taxes? Arent we renewing our insurances annually? Is this so hard for us owners or the Traffic Police to be vigilant that vehicle owners have uptodate paid insurances? Dont we pay so many taxes on an annual basis, property taxes, income taxes, etc?? Whatever be the reason for not having, life time taxes are simply making life miserable for people who have to shift residence quite often.

I feel if only state governments allow private owners to pay annual taxes instead of lifetime taxes, RTO would find less tax evaders and also vehicle owners, we, would be more than willing to pay taxes at the State of our residence.
Lifetime taxes are otherwise, a big hundi, you may put money inside but can never get back anything.

What is the reason for not allowing annual taxes? Arent we renewing our insurances annually? Is this so hard for us owners or the Traffic Police to be vigilant that vehicle owners have uptodate paid insurances? Dont we pay so many taxes on an annual basis, property taxes, income taxes, etc?? Whatever be the reason for not having, life time taxes are simply making life miserable for people who have to shift residence quite often.

+1 to this ! For us software engineers, we have no idea how long we are going to be in one place. And it just doesnt make any sense for people to pay life time taxes wherever we go. The RTO guys can always say that "you can get the reimbursement from the previous state" but how feasible / efficient is that mechanism ? Knowing our government machinery, that would be another do or die battle to get the reimbursement ! And for Karnataka, I seriously dont understand the policy of such high taxes as the roads and simply not upto the mark - makes me think why should I pay the road taxes for such pathetic roads.

Edit: In my first year of job, I was transferred to 3 different states within one year [the 4th one was offered in the next 6 months which I declined] , which means that I need to pay taxes 3 times ! Now that's sick! Thank God I didnt have cash to buy a car itself that time!

If your employer transfers you to another state, aren't they responsible for reimbursing the registration taxes paid in the new state? At least my companies transfer policy covers re-registration reimbursement and they were okay to shell out 2+ Lacs for re-registering my vehicle. But after a few days on Bangalore roads , I decided not to waste my companies money on re-registering in Bangalore since the road infrastructure here does not deserve any tax payment. Isn't it so evidently clear from Bangalore roads that all these high taxes that you pay are simply going to feed some corrupt babus or their kin or their brothel spends?

But to operate it here on my KA-01 license might be cause for trouble, going by all this.

Yes I am on Goa RTO License. With local address.

The Karnataka license should match the car registration is a load of bull given by the scum residing in Karnataka RTO. You can use a license obtained from anywhere to drive or own a car anywhere in the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aroop

What does address on the licence have to do with the address in the registration of the vehicle?

It has to do with how smart or dumb you appear to be to the KA RTO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Having a diff state licence or not has nothing to do with the motor vehicles act, just a easy way to get out a soup,

These are some of the absurdities in this state. The RTO has been such a corrupt institution that anything uttered by anyone, even the peon becomes a law. It has been going on for so long that now no one makes out the difference.

Even a court judgment asking the KA Govt to mend their tax structure fell on deaf years. The court said instead of extorting money from individuals make your tax structure competent to stop people from buying from other states. This state took the easy way out - arm wrestling people in paying up instead.

A friend was involved in a small accident. The car is a KL registered Suzuki Wagon R. There was road work taking place on outer ring road (Bangalore) and a worker suddenly decided to run across the road. The car hit the worker. My friend took him to the hospital to get him treated. The hospital reported the matter to the police and the car was impounded for a night. The documents were also taken. The RTO officials checked the cars road worthiness the next day and returned the car but not the documents. My friend was asked to pay the road tax to get back his papers. This was no bribe. The amount was around Rs. 53000. The road tax was paid and documents returned. The car has been used in Bangalore for over 2 years. My question is; can the RTO confiscate your documents for such reasons? It was my friends bad luck that he was involved in an accident.

Most of my colleagues drive out of state vehicles and have had no trouble at all. The traffic cops pull them over only to verify documents or if they have jumped a light.

I would like to buy a car from Kerala state as the savings are quite a bit. For how long can a drive a out of state car in Karnataka? Will the same thing happen if I were involved in a accident? Sounds like it can.

I would like to buy a car from Kerala state as the savings are quite a bit. For how long can a drive a out of state car in Karnataka? Will the same thing happen if I were involved in a accident? Sounds like it can.

A car registered in one state, before migrating to another, must get an NOC from the home state and also obtain a pro-rata refund of the road tax. The car must then be re-registered in the new state of residence and the pro-rata road tax of that particular state will have to be paid. Else pay the road tax in the current state, obtain NOC from home state and re-register within one year from the date of payment of tax. But usually if road tax is paid, they won't insist on re-registration.

This is the rule for the entire country. Some states may enforce it strictly, some don't. I suppose KA has the highest tax regime in south India, hence don't want to lose revenue precisely in the way you mention.

The same problem arose in the 90's between TN and Pondy. A lot of people bought cars at Pondy to save on tax and used them at Chennai. Beyond a point, all Pondy registered cars were targeted mercilessly to put an end to it.

The same problem arose in the 90's between TN and Pondy. A lot of people bought cars at Pondy to save on tax and used them at Chennai. Beyond a point, all Pondy registered cars were targeted mercilessly to put an end to it.

Now in Karnataka (Bangalore) I see the same thing is happening. I see lots of Imported and luxury car are running around the City with PY reg.
Now obvious reason nor the police or RTO will put hands on them as we can guess who will be the probable owner of this beauty

Now in Karnataka (Bangalore) I see the same thing is happening. I see lots of Imported and luxury car are running around the City with PY reg.
Now obvious reason nor the police or RTO will put hands on them as we can guess who will be the probable owner of this beauty

Tax only on Mango People

Why Bangalore, even in my little Udupi, the few Beemers that are there are all PY registered. There is one Cayenne running without plates for more than 1-2 months. There is one Accord in Manipal on Haryana temporary plates for 2-3 yrs. This guy is even made license plate with the temp numbers!

If a city like Delhi (Mumbai too?) can tolerate the cars from other states without any fuss, why can't Karnataka? The reg is cheaper in Gurgaon than Delhi. So, some people do get it register there. So what? Let them do it. What's such a fuss..

I think it is one way of exhibiting authority. Telling 'outside people' who's the boss. Telling people that when your'e in 'our' land, do as what we say. And Karnataka is not the worst here. There are states in our country which are even more discriminatory.

Yes. I don't understand why each state government thinks of itself as a country and defines its own road tax. I don't mind paying road tax. There has to be something in return. Give us a nice road to drive on.

Paying toll for our highways is another rip off. After one pays such a premium to use the road, you are still held accountable for hitting the person coming on the wrong side of the road. We should be allowed to hit and forget in such situations.

I think it is one way of exhibiting authority. Telling 'outside people' who's the boss. Telling people that when your'e in 'our' land, do as what we say.

It is nothing like that. Even a local guy with outside registration will be caught. The Karnataka government realised few years back that road tax is a cash cow, they can get money for doing nothing. And that people will buy cars no matter how much road tax they levy. So the systematic looting of car buyers started and has been increasing every couple years.

Now let's come to outside cars. When there is significant difference between the road tax of KA and neighboring states, lot of people will indulge in arbitrage. If the RTO does nothing, KA will be full of out-of-state registration cars thanks to high road-tax of KA. Lot of KA residents will buy their cars outside state only to drive it in KA. As we all know, address proof thing can be easily manipulated. That will be a major dent in KA government coffers.

Therefore, they crack down on outside state cars plying in KA. If you can prove you are just passing by, then they can't do much. But if you have local credentials, yet drive a out-of-state vehicle, then you are liable to pay.

I can't believe I am defending the stupid ultra-corrupt KA government, but the fact has to be stated.

Now let's come to outside cars. When there is significant difference between the road tax of KA and neighboring states, lot of people will indulge in arbitrage. If the RTO does nothing, KA will be full of out-of-state registration cars thanks to high road-tax of KA. Lot of KA residents will buy their cars outside state only to drive it in KA. As we all know, address proof thing can be easily manipulated. That will be a major dent in KA government coffers.

Exactly what happened in TN. I remember how people use to buy vehicles from Pondy and use it in chennai. I use to see a lot of PY registration until one day. Think similar crack down helped them.

And I agree it is fact. But I would also love to see a pan-india road tax. With all the NH going to made toll and may be SH too, let them atleast releive us from this pain of transferring Road Tax between states.

I suppose KA has the highest tax regime in south India, hence don't want to lose revenue precisely in the way you mention.

A small addition my friend, KA (Bangalore for sure) has the highest road tax in the whole of India. As you mentioned, why would they want to lose this huge revenue?
I got caught 2 times before I decided to pay the road tax of my bike (KL) in 2003 and after that, never till now. It's strange! Maybe they know from your confidence that you have all the papers ready